Responsible Conduct of Research Year 1

The course is built on real-life cases. Any PhD candidate in the life sciences may face such situations. So it is better to know in advance, how to solve them while staying responsible and honest.

>>> Two times a year a full online edition is planned, check out the course schedule for the dates. These editions are specifically designed for PhD candidates who are UNABLE TO TRAVEL TO UTRECHT, such as those living or working abroad. Other editions are organised at Utrecht Science Park. For better interaction, the trainer strongly advises you to attend this course in person at the Utrecht Science Park! <<<

Target audience

Compulsory course for all GSLS PhD Candidates whose PhD tracks start from 1 September 2020 onwards. 

Open for registration to all other GSLS PhD Candidates.

This course is the first part out of a series of four, which are introduced as a compulsory training for PhDs at Utrecht University.

Course description

Being a scientist is complicated. You have to deal with responsibilities towards your colleagues, your profession, science in general and society. On top of that, you have to perform state of the art research providing thrilling results and new insights for the life sciences.

Everyone knows that one should not cheat in science, but still it happens. Why? This course will help you to remain a good citizen in science. The main aspects of responsible conduct of research will be discussed in short by examples taken from the life sciences. Tools will be provided to withstand the seductions and challenges put on you by supervisors, “the system” and your own ambitions. In addition, we will also discuss daily life experiences in research practice which will help you to responsibly maneuver through the grey areas of science.

Learning objectives

Participants learn strategies on how to discuss and deal with issues and dilemmas that occur in life science research; and they will learn to deal with these issues from a Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) perspective. Furthermore, participants learn to identify breach of RCR by other researchers, e.g., in publications, research proposals, and behaviour.

Instructional method

Participants prepare for the course by reading an article on RCR. 1) A lecture will introduce the different aspects of RCR in the life sciences. 2) Participants will subsequently discuss in small outbreak groups either premade dilemmas, or they can enter their own experience as a discussion topic. 3) The outbreak groups will shortly present their dilemma, the discussion outcome and considerations in a plenary session.

Trainer

The course is coordinated by Marcel van der Heijden, associate professor in the department of Medical Physiology at the University Medical Center Utrecht. The course is taught by several trainers related to the UU or UMC Utrecht.

Group size         

50 participants

Number of credits                                 

0.15 EC

Cancellation and No-show policy

This course is free for GSLS PhD candidates. However: free of charge does not mean free of responsibility. Once you have signed up for a course, we expect you to attend. For every late cancellation or no-show we have had to disappoint others who would have liked to attend. This is our policy:

• You may cancel free of charge up to 4 weeks before the start of the course. After this date you can only cancel if you have a GSLS PhD candidate to replace you in the course. Send the name and contact information of your replacement to pcc@uu.nl, at least 2 working days before the start of the course;
• We expect that you actively attend the full course, but at least 80%. It is mandatory to attend the first session. If you are absent the first session you cannot follow the remaining of the course;
• Not meeting the above requirements means you will be charged a no-show fee (€ 50). We will send the invoice after the course has ended. We are unable to make any exceptions, unless you have a valid reason (i.e., illness or death in the family 1^st/2^nd degree or partner). Your supervisor has to send an e-mail to pcc@uu.nl indicating the reason.

Unfortunately we don’t offer this course for participants not part of the GSLS. Our courses tend to be fully booked by GSLS PhD candidates.